One Day the Dream Will End
by Jesse Shadowstalker
Summary: Pre-game, Crisis Core era. Sequel to Late, As Always, centering around Nibelheim. We know how the story ends, and its perspective through Zack's eyes, but what exactly happened to cause such a tragedy in the cold, mountainous town? Yaoi, perhaps citrus
1. Chapter 1

The long-overdue sequel to Late, As Always! And, without further ado, I bring you...

One Day the Dream Will End

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own these boys, but damn, I wish I did. I don't profit from writing this story.

* * *

Rain lashed angrily at the single window in Sephiroth's office as Cloud sat, wringing his hands nervously, on one of the new plush loveseats. The General himself was absent, completely immersed in an intense meeting with Zack. All of the SOLDIER exams, including Cloud's, had been completed and had been in constant review for weeks, while Sephiroth and his partner overviewed the files and recorded exams time and time again. However, the silver-haired man promised that the process would be completed that day so that he and Cloud would have a small amount of time together.

To take his mind off of the suspense, Cloud looked around the newly remodeled office. Since his arrival a month ago, the entire apartment-type complex had taken on a new appearance, for Cloud had decided that it was too drab and much too sinister for him to live in, and so the mayhem of construction began.

They started with the dreadful kitchen, which, before the move-in, Cloud had never seen before. However, the second he laid eyes upon the atrocity, he winced in disgust. Peeling faded yellow wallpaper hung off of the cracked walls, the once hardwood cabinets and countertops were severely water damaged, and the cracked white kitchen tile was covered with filth. Food splatters accompanied the decrepit wallpaper and Cloud swore he saw a few bugs and mice scurrying around while no one else was watching.

"What on Gaia happened here?" Cloud had asked, staring up at Sephiroth. The man was so tidy, and yet the kitchen was a disaster.

Turning up his nose in disgust, Sephiroth replied, "I do not usually resort to coming in here. Zack prefers to take up residence in this room, however, and we both know what sort of chaos tends to follow in his wake."

The blonde briefly recalled all of the various pranks that Zack had dragged him into during his ShinRa career.

"Suddenly I completely understand how this room got to be in the sorry shape that it is," Cloud said, eyes widening in comprehension.

Nodding, Sephiroth stared pensively at the mess before him. He chuckled lightly before speaking again.

"He once lit his hair on fire without noticing for several moments," Sephiroth explained, smiling fondly. "While amusing, once he discovered that his precious hair was flaming beautifully, he soon flooded my abode whilst striving valiantly to extinguish the flames. Hence the water damages."

Cloud chuckled to himself and recalled a situation involving water balloons and an important Turk meeting. During a daylong period in which Sephiroth was doing paperwork, the black-haired SOLDIER had become quite bored, and thus decided to involve Cloud in his activities. He had stormed in, not bothering to knock as usual, and taken Cloud by the hand, dragging the poor boy along behind him. Zack waved jovially as Sephiroth looked up, eyebrow quirked, and explained that they would be back shortly before staggering down the hallway, Cloud (involuntarily) in tow.

Ignoring the half-hearted protests from Cloud, Zack had stopped in his dorm to retrieve a bag of water balloons before heading off to the conference room. Once there, Zack flicked the lights off and he settled down in the shadows, waiting for the Turks that would soon arrive. Not long after, footsteps could be heard approaching, accompanied by three voices. Zack toned down the Mako glow in his eyes and chuckled evilly, readying several water balloons as he did so. Cloud cowered behind him, steeling himself for the eminent disaster.

Zack stood and took aim as a man with a flaming red ponytail entered and reached for the light switch. Cloud's jaw dropped in horror as the fluorescent bulbs overhead flared to life, shedding light on a perfectly aimed balloon hitting Reno squarely in the face.

Sputtering, the red-haired Turk let out a long stream of obscenities as he shook his head, wildly looking around for the source of the disturbance. Behind him, his partners Rude and Elena pushed past him into the room, wiping flecks of water from their faces. Before long, the trio was soaked, thanks to Zack's diligent aim.

Rude and Elena remained silent as Reno's eyes found Zack, huddled in a corner, laughing uncontrollably.

"God damnit, yo!" he cursed as he stormed over to the SOLDIER.

His anger was soon forgotten as Zack offered his bag of balloons to Reno as a peace offering. The red-haired Turk grinned wildly and took his place next to Zack, waiting for an unsuspecting victim to enter the room. Shaking her head in disgust, Elena exited the room to avoid further splashing. Rude, however, looked at Reno over his glasses, shrugged, and made his way over to the coffee machine, deciding that it was best to leave Reno to his devices.

Ten minutes later, the tile floor was strewn with rubber balloon bits and large puddles of water. Even Cloud was laughing as Reno and Zack tossed water balloons at any member present who wasn't watching their back. Thus far, they had successfully soaked Tseng, Scarlet, and even Heidegger. The fat man guffawed heartily, slapping the two men on the back and thanking them.

"Come on Cloud, just throw one," Zack urged, glancing over his shoulder and noticing that Cloud was watching, yet not participating.

"Yeah, that's right Spike, toss one," Reno agreed.

"No way, I'm just a lowly cadet!" Cloud protested, looking frightened. "Do you have any idea how much trouble I'll get in?!"

"Oh shut up, you," Reno replied, shoving a bright red balloon into Cloud's small, pale hand. "Have a go."

Sighing, Cloud gave in. "Alright, but just one! I'll get the next person to come in."

The other two men laughed and ducked down so that Cloud would have a clear shot. Feeling momentarily invincible, Cloud steadied his arm and took aim at the door, waiting…

Though he did not have to wait for very long. Very soon, footsteps approached and Cloud tensed, ready to throw the balloon at the exact moment the visitor set foot inside the room. Zack and Reno contented themselves with counting down until the fated moment.

"Three….. Two…… One…."

And that was it. The second Cloud saw a booted leg, he threw the water balloon as hard as he could.

A muffled yell signaled two things: the person had entered the room and that he or she was completely soaked. Cloud let out a whoop of joy, not realizing that Zack and Reno weren't laughing. In the midst of Cloud's victory dance, Zack smacked the boy on the back of the head.

"Cloud… CLOUD!" he whispered frantically as the blonde rounded on him. "You just soaked President ShinRa's son, Vice President Rufus!"

The silence in the room was deafening as Cloud fainted straight away. Later, as he was recovering in his dorm, Zack told him that Sephiroth had come to the rescue. However, before said rescue could be carried out, the great General had been soaked by Reno, and, as the silver-haired man was scrambling to get revenge, he had slipped on a bit of balloon. That, obviously, gave Reno time to escape, but not for long. Sephiroth ended up chasing him around the conference room anyway, slashing at the red-haired Turk with Masamune as the others in the room watched in amusement, ducking to avoid the singing steel as needed.

Pulling out of his reverie, Cloud chuckled to the silence of Sephiroth's office. Thinking about all of the hijinks that Zack had involved him in certainly calmed his nerves. He glanced briefly around the room, looking for something to occupy himself with. The room had been repainted navy blue, dark enough for Sephiroth's taste, yet enough color to satisfy Cloud. A black plush couch had been placed next to the window, whose curtains were purely silver, and the loveseat that Cloud was seated at occupied the adjacent wall. Random bits of furniture had been added to fill the empty space, giving the room a bit more of a homey feeling. All in all, Cloud was fairly impressed.

Sighing, the blonde stretched out on the couch, unable to find anything to do. He wished that Sephiroth and Zack would finish their meeting, considering that Cloud hadn't seen much of the General since his move-in. President ShinRa had whisked Sephiroth away days after Cloud settled in, once the silver-haired man's recovery was complete. Zack had also been taken on that same mission, and both returned about a week later, battle-worn and extremely weary.

Cloud did not realize that he had eventually fallen asleep until he heard the office door opening. He sat bolt upright, ready to run for the door and capture Sephiroth in a very large hug.

"Cloud?" the General called as he pulled his card key from the door.

Instead of an answer, Sephiroth was greeted by a flurry of blonde hair practically flying across the room and gripping him very tightly about the waist. Chuckling, Sephiroth hugged his younger lover back, resting his head on Cloud's and breathing in the boy's unique scent.

"Are you all done?" Cloud asked eagerly.

Sephiroth nodded against blonde spikes. "Finally. I apologize that I was away for so long. Picking new SOLDIERs is quite a long process."

"I understand."

Sephiroth pulled away and guided Cloud over to the loveseat that he had been sleeping on. He sat down, welcoming the softness of the cushions, and pulled Cloud down next to him. As the younger man snuggled up next to him, Sephiroth leaned his head back and began massaging his temples. The long day's work had given him quite a monstrous migraine.

"Cloud…" Sephiroth said after a moment, causing the boy to look up immediately. "I have some news."

The blonde frowned, noting that Sephiroth looked much less than happy. The General's lips curved gracefully into a frown, and his silver eyebrows were drawn together. His normally bright emerald eyes were presently dark, almost void of the usual comforting glow. Cloud bit his lip as he looked expectantly up at his superior.

"I… My position requires me to be absolutely unbiased in my decisions," he continued, feeling a near physical pain at the news he was about to deliver. "Thusly, although the decision was entirely too difficult for Zack and I to make… we… we could not promote you into SOLDIER rank."

Several moments passed before Cloud was able to form a coherent thought. The news had hit him especially hard, for it had always been his dream to one day be in SOLDIER, just like his role model who was presently seated next to him on the loveseat. However, as the news sank in, he felt crushed; his dreams were destroyed.

"I am sincerely sorry," Sephiroth added. He pulled Cloud close, offering what comfort he could.

After several moments, Cloud looked up into Sephiroth's dark green eyes. He looked utterly calm, even disturbingly so, as he spoke.

"I guess what some people say is true," he said. "One day, all dreams must come to an end."

With that, he buried his face in Sephiroth's chest and sobbed silently.

* * *

AN: I suppose it's my trademark to include the title of the fic at the end of its first chapter. Weird.

I wrote this pre-Crisis Core. I feel like I've got a better idea of how the trio interact with each other, and maybe I'll do some editing on Late, As Always to include that. I'm not sure. That fic was a beast for me. lol

Anyway, I'm back! I apologize for the extremely long wait (has it really been 2 years?) but I had a lot of things going on in my life. Hopefully now things will fall into place, and I can get this damn trilogy cranked out!

I haven't submitted this to my beta gal yet, so hopefully it didn't turn out too awful. I'll be trying to post chapters regularly (maybe weekly?) now that school is almost over.


	2. Chapter 2

One Day the Dream Will End

Chapter 2

* * *

"Come on, Spike," Zack pleaded.

Stubbornly, the blonde cadet remained silent, staring sadly at the wall adjacent to him as he sat motionless on the loveseat. His black-haired friend bobbed in the line of his vision in a vain yet valiant attempt to get Cloud to move, waving his arms and pleading with the young blonde until he was practically blue in the face. However, the boy in question remained where he sat, carefully diverting his stony gaze when Zack jumped in front of him.

Zack pouted. Had he been in any other situation, Cloud would have laughed outright at this gesture. At the present time, he preferred to keep his ice blue eyes neutral and ignore his former roommate.

"Look," the black-haired SOLIDER said irritably, dropping his happy charade for a moment, "we all fail at some point in our lives. Just because you didn't make SOLDIER this time, doesn't mean you can't try again. Come on, there's more to life than being a cadet or a SOLDIER, don't you see that?"

The words had no sooner left Zack's mouth before he regretted letting them escape. Cloud had, on more than one occasion, told Zack of his dreams to enter SOLDIER and be just like the great General Sephiroth to impress his hometown, and a special little lady who resided there. Zack occasionally wondered if this had changed since his relationship with Sephiroth had developed. Either way, the black-haired man fully expected the outburst that came only seconds later. Narrowed blue eyes landed on him as Cloud snapped his head up to glare at Zack and for a moment, the SOLDIER was actually very intimidated. The boy had an uncanny ability to look just like Sephiroth.

"More to life than that, is there?" Cloud hissed venomously. "Maybe to you, Zack, but my reputation, no, my whole life, depended on that exam. When I failed it, my life was over."

Wincing, Zack searched his brain for a mood lifter. Before he could think about his next statement, it flew out of his mouth like a bat out of hell.

"You are far too obsessed with other people's opinions, you know that?"

Deciding it was best to keep his manhood intact, Zack blanched and leapt over the table behind him, getting away from Cloud before the blonde could land a furious retaliation blow.

"You heartless bastard!" the blonde shouted, shoving himself up off the loveseat in one fluid motion. Growling, he upset the table easily and advanced on Zack, sapphire eyes ablaze. "It's all wonderful for you, since you made it on your first try! You even got promoted to first class in record time! Yeah, it's all easy for you to say, you stupid musclehead!"

Although offended, Zack put on a well-practiced smile and tried to reason with his younger friend.

"Cloud, you barely missed it," he said in a calm voice, holding up his hands in defeat. "I could help you correct the one or two things that knocked you down and we'll try again in a few weeks!"

Furious, Cloud began swinging wildly at the older man, cursing loudly and fighting vainly against the tears that he knew would fall. Zack dodged easily, stepping around the fury-blind blonde gracefully while waiting for the anger to subside. Gradually, Cloud's motions began to slow, and fresh tears magnified his beautiful eyes. He was still whispering obscenities as he sank to the ground moments later, harsh sobs wracking his tiny body. Within seconds, the SOLDIER had fallen to his knees at Cloud's side, encircling the boy's lithe frame with his muscular arms.

Still proud, Cloud shoved at Zack, afterwards using his small amount of remaining energy to beat his fists against the black-haired man's shoulders. When Zack showed no signs of letting up, the blonde gave in and fell against Zack's warm chest, giving in to the depression that threatened to consume him.

"We need to get you cleaned up," Zack said after a long while, holding Cloud at arm's length to carefully examine him. "Sephiroth told me that he should be back today and that he has missed you terribly."

Cloud frowned. "Did he really say that?"

"Um, well, no…" Zack admitted, pulling a face. "He did tell me to give you something, though."

Assuming that the older man was intending to kiss him, Cloud sighed and placed his index finger squarely on Zack's nose as he leaned in, keeping him firmly in place. Zack struggled vainly for a few moments, shoving against that which was holding him back, before Cloud smirked, leaned sideways and removed the obstruction. Zack's eyes widened, and seconds later, he collided with the floor next to Cloud. As Zack proceeded to roll across the slippery floor, he stuck his tongue out at the blonde who was chuckling a few feet away.

"That was definitely not funny," the black-haired SOLDIER insisted, standing and wiping dirt from the backside of his uniform.

Giggling, Cloud nodded to indicate that he thought it was _very _funny.

"Pahh, see, I told you we all fail sometimes," Zack huffed. Seconds later, he broke and giggled with Cloud. "Look, I'm amazing at getting you to feel better."

Of course, Zack was always looking for ways to make himself look better. Cloud chuckled and shook his head as he sat back down on the couch. Zack approached as the blonde was sitting with his head down, breathing deeply to slowly bring his mood up from the near-suicidal low that it had been at moments before. The black-haired SOLDIER massaged Cloud's surprisingly muscular back as the boy calmed down, offering what assistance he could.

"But really," Zack said after a moment, "Sephiroth's due to come in today or tomorrow, so let's get you showered and ready for him. Sound good?"

The blonde nodded, sighing, and plodded off to the bedroom, presumably to get his clothes together. Also back there, he discovered, the bathroom door was hidden. Zack could never figure out why Sephiroth's bathroom was hidden in the bedroom. For the longest time, it was completely out in the open. Zack remembered this because he frequently had to use it. Cloud, however, knew why Sephiroth had wallpapered over the door to make it near invisible. The General had confided in him that he was tired of Zack barging in at random moments. Also, he had whispered - in case Zack was occupying his office (as usual) - he was tired of Zack leaving him unpleasant surprises.

"Coffee in the morning isn't particularly bad," Sephiroth had said. "However, as generous as I'm sure he thinks he's being, it's generally too early in the season for a yule log or two, if you understand what I'm trying to say."

The sheer out-of-characterness that Sephiroth had displayed – in addition to the tasteless joke - had, in fact, caused Cloud to fall over laughing and had also rendered him unable to get up for several minutes. The General had watched in increasing amusement as his younger lover rolled around on the floor, clutching a stitch in his side and snorting occasionally.

Presently, a door shut and Zack heard the shower turn on. Smirking, he then dug his PHS out of his uniform pocket and proceeded to a secluded corner of Sephiroth's office area to dial.

The PHS rang twice before a quiet yet commanding baritone came over the line.

"General Sephiroth speaking."

Zack struggled to whisper. It wasn't one of his strong points. "Seph! You in our office yet?"

"Indeed I am," Sephiroth replied. Zack could hear a smile in his voice. "When will you be here?"

Zack stole a glance in the direction of the bathroom. "Cloud just got in the shower. Presumably, given his current state, he might be in there a while. It could be as long as an hour."

The General started. He knew that Cloud had been in bad shape when he left for a short mission, yet the brunt of the damage sounded like it hit while he was gone.

"What's wrong?" Sephiroth demanded. "What happened? What do you mean by 'current state'?"

"Oh, don't worry," Zack soothed quickly. "Cloud just needed to um, trash some of your furniture and try to beat the hell out of me. He's going to be fine."

Miscellaneous thoughts of what Zack did to cause Cloud's outburst ran through Sephiroth's head at that moment. However, Zack happened to be very good at cheering Cloud up, so the silver-haired man assumed all would be fine.

Sephiroth paused a moment more. "Alright. You'll need to let me know when to disappear. Call me discreetly. Let the PHS ring once, then hang up. I'll know it's you."

"Good plan, Seph," Zack replied, nodding. "Expect us somewhere around an hourish."

There was an affirmative grunt from the General, and the line cut out. Zack smiled to himself. This plan was genius; his best work ever! Of course, only half of it was his, but the principle ideas were all developed in Zack's crazed mind.

The fact was, Zack hated to see Cloud upset because when the blonde got upset, he turned very cranky and obnoxious. Even though the vibes tended to rub off on Zack after prolonged exposure, he wasn't just looking out for himself. Cloud had incredible potential! Both Zack and Sephiroth wanted to see the boy succeed.

About a half an hour passed before the shower turned off. A few rooms over, Zack stirred; he had apparently fallen into a light doze while waiting for Cloud to finish. Zack jumped up, ruffled his perfect hair into place and prepared for a fake trip to his and Sephiroth's office. He glanced around. Somewhere in the office had to be his stack of paperwork that he had to have finished… Was it finished? Zack was having trouble remembering with his head in a groggy fog. Folder, it was in a manilla folder somewhere… Aha! Zack spotted it on the General's desk and quickly ran to it, took it to the couch, and spred out his work.

The blonde padded out of the shower some five minutes later. Sweatpants hung loosely about his slim form, he wore no shirt and his blonde hair gleamed, as it had just been styled. The smallest of frowns played on his lips as he came up next to Zack, who was busy moving important-looking papers around the couch.

"What is all of this?" he asked, leaning down and looking skeptically at the documents that Zack had rustled up.

The SOLDIER frowned, shielding them momentarily from view. "We need to journey to my office, so put on a shirt and some shoes."

Though he remained skeptical, Cloud obeyed. Minutes later, he was following Zack down the hallway toward the small room that Zack and Sephiroth called their office.

Discreetly, Zack reached into his pocket and hit the button to call Sephiroth. It rang once and he hung up, knowing that the General would remember their code.

"So, why am I coming with you?" Cloud asked, jogging to catch up. The elder SOLDIER was walking briskly, preoccupied with something in his pocket.

"Sephiroth assigned me a lot of work and I might need some help," Zack replied as he slowed, suppressing a grin.

"Wonderful, you're dragging me down here to do work that you should've done days ago."

While this was usually true, Zack contented himself in knowing that he was actually setting his friends up for a nice surprise. He had, in fact, taken time to finish his work for Sephiroth two days ago, knowing that the General would be home today. And, as Zack had found out long ago, when Sephiroth returned to piles of Zack's unfinished work cluttering their office, he got extremely angry.

Zack amused himself with thoughts of the surprised look on Cloud's face when Sephiroth materialized from the darkness of the room. No doubt, the General had some spectacular entrance planned; after all, an extraordinary man was required to have extraordinary appearances.

The SOLDIER's musings carried him all the way to the office, whose door was shut and lights were off. It took all of Zack's willpower to not laugh or grin as he put the key in the lock and turned. A faint click sounded, and Zack turned the knob, ready to see a faint green glow emanating from one of the dark corners.

Alas, there was none. He should've known. Sephiroth wasn't ready to make his appearance yet. Chances were, he would let Zack entertain Cloud for several moments before surprising the blonde. This in mind, Zack sorted through his finished work, trying to find something to keep Cloud busy until Sephiroth was ready. Finding a paper that was unfinished (Zack cringed, thinking of what punishments he would've endured if he hadn't found it early), he handed it to Cloud before rifling through the rest of them to keep himself busy as well.

Cloud frowned. "One paper? You can't do one paper on your own?"

Again, Zack tried very hard not to laugh.

"No, Cloud, I can't," he replied. "I have to make sure all of these are in perfect condition, else Sephiroth will be very angry when he returns. You don't want that, now, do you?"

"I suppose not," Cloud grunted. "But you definitely owe me for this."

Nodding, Zack continued rifling through his papers, checking every few of them meticulously. He was being honest when he said that he didn't want Sephiroth to be angry.

Cloud occasionally asked Zack for a few details about a previously completed mission, but otherwise, the room was silent. Nearly five minutes later, when Cloud was checking over the document he had been working on, Zack sensed something moving in the room. The blonde recruit didn't notice, however, as he didn't have the enhanced senses of a SOLDIER. Smiling, Zack knew exactly what was moving around the room, and contented himself with leaning back in his chair, waiting for the moment when Cloud would yelp in surprise.

He didn't have to wait very long for that moment. Seconds later, Zack watched in amusement as Sephiroth stepped out of the shadows behind Cloud, looked up at Zack, gave a small wink and stepped closer to his lover.

"I think I'm done," Cloud said, setting down his pen and smiling at the document. He was very proud of his work.

Zack giggled. "Good work, Cloud. I think you'll find your reward extremely pleasant."

At that moment, Sephiroth intensified the mako in his emerald eyes, basking Cloud, Zack and the table between them in a very soft glow. Confused, Cloud cocked his head to the side and stared at Zack, who was, at that point, near full-out laughter.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked.

The black-haired SOLDIER couldn't answer, for at that moment, Sephiroth leaned down and placed a feather-light kiss on Cloud's neck. Laughter forgotten, Zack watched, enraptured, as Cloud shivered slightly and the General's silky silver hair fell gracefully over his shoulder, shielding his younger lover.

A very loud squeal filled the room then as Cloud realized who was standing behind him. He leaped out of his chair and practically tackled the great General in a glomping bear hug.

"Seph! You're home!!" he yelled, smiling broadly for the first time in a week.

"Indeed," Sephiroth replied, smiling also. He looked weary, yet extremely happy at the same time. He quirked an eyebrow playfully before continuing. "You act as if you missed me terribly."

Cloud pouted. "Of course I missed you."

Sephiroth laughed and kissed Cloud soundly, ridding the blonde quickly of his pout.

Somewhere across the room, Zack coughed. Sephiroth glanced over at him, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, SOLDIER?" he asked, smirking.

"Uh, sir, if I may take my leave…" he grunted, blushing vaguely.

"That isn't particularly necessary," Sephiroth replied, grinning evilly at his partner. "Cloud and I were about to head to my quarters."

Sephiroth's tone explained his intentions. Sputtering and blinking quickly, Zack saluted and left the room, presumably heading for his own quarters. Cloud and Sephiroth laughed at their friend, exiting just after him. Cloud bounded along happily beside the General the entire way, knocking into random SOLDIERs as they passed. Each time, Sephiroth would apologize for Cloud's behavior and pull the blonde close to his side. However, Cloud just couldn't contain his excitement and kept leaping out of range.

Many floored SOLDIERs later, Sephiroth unlocked the door to his quarters and laughed lightly as Cloud bounded inside, heading for the bedroom. Sephiroth followed after shutting and locking the door.

Cloud was sitting up in bed, tucked under the blankets. Within seconds, the General stripped down and took his place beside the blonde, sighing contently and snuggling down into the soft mattress. Cloud eagerly scooted closer to the middle of the bed and cuddled up next to Sephiroth. The General was very tense, that fact was very obvious, yet in the young blonde's presence, he seemed to relax a great deal.

As Cloud was plotting an ambush of sorts, Sephiroth raised his head and looked him squarely in the eye. Cloud froze.

"I have news."

* * *

AN: I imagine that Sephiroth's sense of humor is probably rusty at best, and he (in my eyes) would likely make completely lame and tasteless jokes.

Ok, so we're getting into the main part of the fic now. Zack, of course, is now going to be a prominent character. I do, however, wonder if I should involve Genesis and Angeal? Or should I just take the ideas from Crisis Core and leave out the other Firsts? I would appreciate any input you guys may have. :)


	3. Chapter 3

One Day the Dream Will End

Chapter 3

* * *

"I wanted to be like you  
I wanted everything.  
So I tried to be like you  
And I got swept away.

I didn't know that  
It was so cold and  
You needed someone to show you the way  
I took your hand and we figured out that  
When the time comes I'll take you away.

If you want to, I can save you  
I can take you away from here.  
So lonely inside, so busy out there  
And all you wanted was somebody who cares."  
Michelle Branch, "All You Wanted."  
(It seemed appropriate. And foreshadowy.)

* * *

Sephiroth didn't often look the way he did then. It was an expression of mingled apprehension, resignation and weariness. His normally bright eyes were darkened dangerously, giving off an almost poisonous expression. Silver brows furrowed closely together as if plotting, waiting. Usually in this state, the General would storm off to his office to work on some mundane work for ShinRa, yet Cloud sensed that he was a part of what was to come. Therefore, Sephiroth could not as easily slip away to work off his frustrations. Not this time.

Come to think of it, though, Cloud could think of very many ways in which he could help Sephiroth work off frustration, most of which involving a lack of clothing. However, he put those thoughts aside and met the General's unwavering gaze, trembling slightly.

"What is it?" he asked tentatively, knowing that at that time, he was walking on eggshells.

Emerald mako glow flared and dimmed briefly. The younger blond shrank back slightly.

"I'm leaving on another assignment soon," Sephiroth began, oblivious to Cloud's fear. "It sounds routine, yet I have a strange feeling that there's something else. Something… for the lack of better word, awful."

Frowning, Cloud started to inch closer once again. Sephiroth was starting to look almost fearful. His warring expressions made the blond uneasy, and tears began to well in his sapphire eyes. He never knew what to do when his older lover left for extended amounts of time. After a few hours of wandering listlessly, Cloud's heart would start to ache terribly, hungering for Sephiroth to return. At that point, it was likely that Cloud would end up sleeping or training away the remaining time. Though it would likely do wonders for his second take at the SOLDIER exams, Cloud disliked being left out of important things very much. Besides…

From the sound of it, Sephiroth might not return.

"What sounds so awful about it?" Cloud found himself asking.

The General stared at him long and hard for a few moments before answering.

"The villagers are claiming that the mako reactor is spitting out monsters, and would like us to investigate," he began curtly. Cloud dismissed the "us" as Sephiroth and Zack, clinging to every word as the other man continued. "Things as they are, ShinRa would not send me on a mission as mundane as to get rid of a few mountain lions for a village full of nobodies. They can't afford to do so when there are so many rebellion factions forming."

Cloud flinched slightly. Sephiroth had a very good point there. Slowly, more and more citizens were coming to hate the ways of the ShinRa Company. Cloud, in turn, hated them. If not for quashing rebel factions, Sephiroth would have less stress and would likely get to spend more time with him.

"I would like to think that if this is a problem with the reactor, ShinRa simply would like me to dispose of the mako beasts and repair the problem. However, a mechanic could do this if he were to be accompanied by SOLDIERs, or hell, even a few men from the regulation army. Why, then, would they request me?"

Sephiroth's increasingly erratic musings were starting to make Cloud very uneasy. What if Sephiroth was being sent to his doom? What could Cloud do for his lover from so far away? Involuntarily, he let out a small sound of desperation.

Within seconds, the young recruit was swept up into Sephiroth's strong arms. At that point, the crystalline tears that had been dancing so precariously along Cloud's dark eyelashes fell and the blond sobbed, cradled gently against his angel's chest. Long fingers twined through golden locks as the General lowered his head to nuzzle his younger lover.

"Cloud, it's going to be okay," Sephiroth soothed, stroking the blond's unruly spikes.

Struggling lightly, Cloud shook his head. "It's NOT going to be okay if I'm sitting here on my ass, not able to do anything to help you while you're gone for Gaia knows how long! I can't help but feel like this mission requires me to be with you… like I should be preventing something painful from happening to you."

Lifting Cloud's chin gently, Sephiroth looked into Cloud's bright eyes and smiled for the first time since he had gotten into bed.

"But you see," he said, wiping away tears with his thumb and lightly poking Cloud's nose, "you're coming with me."

The blond froze.

"I'm… what?"

Questions burned through Cloud's mind like wildfire, yet he quashed them. Sephiroth would explain based on his simple statement of confusion. The explanation came slowly, as it appeared the General was choosing his words with extreme care.

"I requested, for this particular mission, that very specific guards accompany me," Sephiroth began. He smiled slyly, emerald eyes dancing with a strange light that Cloud didn't see often. "ShinRa obeys my every whim, and so you are to accompany me to the small mountain town of Nibelheim to, other things aside, assist me in disposing of mako creatures."

Fresh tears welled up in Cloud's sapphire eyes, albeit happy ones. Sephiroth was doing so much for him, just to keep them together… Cloud didn't even stop to think for a moment of his small mountain hometown.

"I…" the General continued, frowning slightly. He grunted haughtily, turning up his nose. "I have to say that I have never before in my existence needed someone as much as I need you."

Resisting the urge to smile, Cloud motioned for Sephiroth to proceed. Sighing heavily, the great General narrowed his eyes, disliking the idea of exposing his softer side. It would be best, however, that Cloud knew of his fears.

"Something tells me that I alone cannot conquer whatever forces lie ahead of us," he explained with a deep frown. Never before had something bested him. "I may need you there with me to help control my… darker nature."

A single golden eyebrow arched quizzically for a moment. Cloud wondered if Sephiroth spoke of Jenova, yet hadn't they bested the demon months ago? Had they not struggled endlessly to rid the General of the taint? Cloud wondered how long Sephiroth knew of this and was hiding it from him. His brain was traveling a thousand miles a minute, whispers filling his thoughts…

"What on Gaia are you talking about?" Cloud asked, narrowing his eyes incredulously.

"I've been thinking a lot lately, Cloud. As you know, I don't necessarily have the need to sleep like most humans do. So, while deftly trying to block out the sound of Zack's roaring snores, I've developed some theories about what happened to me," Sephiroth replied. "Particularly concerning Jenova."

Curiosity piqued, Cloud sat quietly, waiting for Sephiroth to continue with the explanation of his epiphany.

"I've told you that my mother is Jenova, something I have been told from very early childhood, though I have never met her, being that she died during birth," he began, eyebrows knitted in contemplation. "And yet, here is a Jenova that has been haunting me, controlling me, using my form to carry out evil acts."

The General paused, looking down at Cloud for a moment. The boy gazed steadily back, seeming to be somewhere between confusion and amazement. After all, his older lover had never really openly talked about the problem he had with Jenova, or even his past. To that day, the only information the blond had about Sephiroth's past was the short peek at Gast's journal quite some time ago in the General's office. He winced at the mere memory, face blanching slightly. Sephiroth ignored him and continued.

"I have been so preoccupied with this situation I've been in, thinking about it night and day, trying to conclude something about my nature. So far, I have only come up with one answer. When I was a child, I had no mother. Occasionally, when I was young, I would look out my dorm window to see mothers and children playing around the fountain in the Sector 7 square. They were all so happy. Why couldn't I have been that happy? What did I do to deserve being placed in this facility for the rest of my days?

"At any rate, Gast was the closest I had to a father figure, but he couldn't do much for me with Hojo running the show, always making me train. In my desperation to have a mother, I can only assume that I created a personality for her, almost an imaginary friend, one that manifests as a defense mechanism when my soul is so broken, I cannot carry on alone."

Azure eyes blinked. As if there was ever a time in which the war savior couldn't protect himself. "So, what was the rest of it like? Growing up here, I mean, with scientists. Didn't you spend any time at all with your family?"

Shaking his head, Sephiroth frowned. "Not at all. As far as I know, I was bred and born here, for the sole purpose of one day becoming ShinRa's General. Not exactly the most pleasant of existences, but at least I'm here. I never had much free time, being confined to training utilities and meetings with the scientists. They say I was a natural-born prodigy, but I think they just told me that to placate me.

"I started showing Jenova's tendencies when I was very young, maybe six or seven years old," he continued, leaving Cloud in awe, jaw hanging open. "Gast knew that I was disturbed and began to visit quite often, keeping me sane until one day…"

Pausing, Sephiroth frowned deeply, looking very upset. Cloud stroked his arm slowly, encouraging him to continue when he was ready.

"One day Hojo discovered that Gast had been spending far too much time with me, and not only that, but he had been fraternizing with his most precious specimen. Her name was Ifalna, and she was the last surviving Cetra in all of Gaia. Gast fell in love with her and one day, when Hojo had called him for a disciplinary meeting, he just… lost it and ran out, taking Ifalna with him. Much to ShinRa's dismay, they were unable to locate him for quite some time.

"Truthfully, I was very much distraught. I was in the facility before they had even FOUND Ifalna. I had spent more time with Gast. I was insanely jealous that he had taken her over me, that he had chosen to leave me in that hellhole. And yet, as he rushed by me, he whispered, 'I'll be back for you.' I spent the next innumerable years waiting for his return, until I received a notice from ShinRa that he had been discovered residing in the Icicle Area and had also been neutralized. Fury welled up in me, and I finally excelled at my training the way Hojo had wished for many years."

Sighing heavily, Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at Cloud's awestruck expression. The boy had remained completely silent, hanging on the older man's every word. Finally, blond spikes shook as Cloud cleared his head, tilting his head slightly.

"Wow. I… never knew that you've been through so much, Seph. I'm sorry…"

"Don't be, dear Cloud. It's not like you had anything to do with it all," Sephiroth replied, smiling slightly and kissing the blond on the forehead. "Before I went off on a childhood tangent, where were we?"

Frowning, Cloud contemplated that for a moment. "Oh! Right, your Jenova theory. So, you were saying that we've incorrectly labeled Jenova as a demon, when in actuality she's like… an inner demon? Just a darker part of you that you don't know how to handle?"

"I suppose so," Sephiroth replied, nodding. "I can't really think of any other ways to explain it. So… I guess it's just me that's crazy, no outside influence. That… is a very depressing thought, I must admit. To think that I'm so unstable…

"However, since I ran off Hojo, things have been very different," the emerald-eyed General further explained, gesturing absently with his hands. "I've felt better in a general sense, without the weekly mako poisoning me…"

"Why didn't I ever see that, anyway?" Cloud asked suddenly, ignoring the urge to point out Sephiroth's unintentional pun.

"Trust me, Cloud. You may have never come back to me."

"But, I…"

"Regardless," Sephiroth plowed on, hushing Cloud with his stern tone, "I do feel much better, more stable. However, I've… Well, I occasionally have unusual thoughts and dreams. I've never felt anything like this before in my life, not even back in my troubled childhood."

A blurred image of a tall man in a lab coat appeared before Cloud's eyes, followed by a menacing monologue.

_Shut up, you foolish boy! I created you, and I can easily dismantle you! No questions, just keep training! Use your damn materia! Come at me with your sword! How can you lead an army if you can't master these simple techniques?_

Cloud shook his head. The image that just flashed in his mind, what was it? What had he just seen? The man sounded like Hojo, yet Cloud could barely remember the demented scientist. The treatments he was given often caused memory lapses, or so Zack often told him.

"What kind of thoughts?" Cloud asked, trying to forget the fleeting image.

_Murderous._ "Not very good ones."

Eyes widening, Cloud looked apprehensively over at his superior.

"What was that?" he asked, starting to panic. He swore he could hear Sephiroth saying something, yet the man's lips had not yet moved. What the hell was going on?

For a moment, Sephiroth paused. _How can you?…_ When the blonde's eyes dilated, Sephiroth began to wonder. Could Cloud hear what he was thinking? It must have been, at least, very limited for the boy hadn't let on to hearing anything about his Nibelheim concerns. He was practically flattened when the General told him that he was to be a guard for the trip. A flash of green caught Sephiroth's eye. Apparently his mako eyes had flared for a moment and reflected off of Cloud's glossy sapphire orbs.

Flinching for the millionth time that hour, the blond shook his head. Just a moment ago, as Sephiroth was thinking so intently, he felt a strange sensation in his eyes. A thousand foreign thoughts flooded Cloud's mind, fleeting, leaving him feeling quite ill.

"Sephiroth, I'm not feeling very well," Cloud whispered. The boy's eyes were dimming slowly.

Quickly, Sephiroth leaned closer to Cloud, inspecting him. There were no outward signs of distress, save for his eyes. While normally bright, they had turned flat, dark and unseeing. Dark pupils were dilated, and soon after, Cloud's breathing began to slow, almost as if he were in a trance. The boy suddenly jumped from the bed and knelt beside it, head bowed.

"M… master…" Cloud stuttered, voice very different. He raised his head slightly, not meeting Sephiroth's eyes, but just enough to see him.

Entire body tensing unpleasantly, Sephiroth leaned over the edge of the bed so catch a better glimpse at Cloud. The boy's gaze diverted immediately. Something was very wrong, yet Sephiroth could not begin to imagine what had caused or how to resolve the situation. He reached out to gently touch the boy's arm, yet he yelped and jumped away as if scalded. Immediately returning to his trance-like state, Cloud settled into his previous kneeling, hunched position a few feet from the bed.

"Cloud?" Sephiroth questioned, peering intently at his lover. Again, darkened eyes diverted quickly.

General Sephiroth was a man of few confusions; it took a great deal of effort to stump him. However, there was his small blond, acting in a way he never had before, something that sent Sephiroth's analytical mind absolutely reeling. Silver eyebrows knitted together as he screwed up his face in contemplation. Before he could even begin to form a logical answer to the problem at hand, Cloud suddenly tensed, head falling back to loll sickeningly on his shoulders. Sapphire eyes rolled, twitched, even began to give off a very faint glow. Horrified, Sephiroth watched, stock-still as the glow gave way to a very subtle change occurring in Cloud's pupils, which appeared to be elongating, stretching. A single silver eyebrow arched quizzically… Sephiroth knew his own pupils to be similar to that of a cat's…

Piercing green light nearly blinded the General very suddenly, erupting from Cloud's irises as his golden hair lightened dramatically. Sephiroth covered his eyes and staggered back slightly, lips pulling back into a terrible snarl. Unable to watch his lover suffer any longer, he shoved himself off of the bed, kneeling at the boy's side. Grabbing Cloud by the shoulders, the silver-haired man shook him fiercely, disgusted as the blond's head continued to loll.

"Cloud!" he shouted, staring deeply into the now green eyes, finding only a glimmer of his Cloud there. "CLOUD!"

It was all to no avail, for soon the recruit went completely slack in his hands, eyes falling shut. Sighing heavily, Sephiroth gently lifted him and took him back to the bed. Once Cloud was settled under the sheets, Sephiroth took the time to re-examine him.

The boy's hair had returned to its normal golden color and he had gone, if possible, paler than he had previously been. Never in his life had Sephiroth seen someone look so frail. He lifted one eyelid very gently, catching a brief glimpse of azure irises. Good. At least he was back to normal.

Climbing back into bed and placing a protective arm around Cloud, Sephiroth pondered what had just occurred. As egotistical as it felt to even think, it appeared that Cloud was… becoming… him. Wait…

Sephiroth sat bolt upright, emerald eyes bugging slightly. His right hand flew to his mouth, long fingers covering his now open mouth, for his jaw had slackened in absolute horror. Pupils dilated almost painfully as the General finally figured out was causing pain to his blond angel.

Mako. _It was his blood!_

A/N:

I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! I've been fighting with Word for a while now, which apparently is trying to force me to buy it. Course, I can't afford that. So… but here it is, all finished and really long. Generally my chapters are about, oh, two pages shorter. I was going to make it even longer, but I was like bleh, let's leave it off here.


	4. Chapter 4

One Day the Dream Will End

Chapter 4

A/N: Open Office hath saved me, so here I am, and here it is! Also, I apologize for the long wait. I had a bit of writer's block with the flashback scene; I kinda don't have a beta anymore since _someone_ abandoned me and I didn't know if I liked what I wrote.

- - - - - Indicates a flashback.

To my few reviewers: I thank you for taking the time to let me know you liked it. :)

* * *

Hours later, Cloud awoke to a chilling breeze skittering like insects over his exposed torso, raising goosebumps wherever it touched. He shivered, ran his hands over his skin and blinked a few times before his eyes settled on the broken window in Sephiroth's room that was now open. The curtains fluttered back loudly when the wind blew and as they did, Cloud could see a long mass of silver hair fly back as well, just barely curling around the edge of the window. It beckoned to Cloud, who bounded out of bed and quickly went to the bathroom to grab his pants, a t-shirt and a robe before padding over to the remains of the window.

Leaning out, the blond could see Sephiroth perched precariously on the ledge outside the window, staring quite pensively at the rising sun. It cast deep reds, pinks and purples across the sky, painting a wonderful abstract image. Cloud reached out carefully as not to topple out the window and ran his fingers through the spun moonsilk hair, which just barely caught the light hues in the sky above them, effectively catching the older man's attention.

"Cloud..." he whispered, pain evident in his emerald eyes. "Oh, Cloud..."

Confused, Cloud beckoned for Sephiroth to come inside. He disappeared for a moment, returning with a few chairs, setting them before the open window so that he and his older lover could sit and watch the sun rise.

"What's wrong, Sephiroth?" Cloud asked slowly as the General sat down beside him. "You look unnaturally troubled today."

Sephiroth looked sideways at him, concern etched quite clearly on his godlike face. "Don't you remember what happened last night?"

Briefly wondering if the conversation was about to turn sexual, Cloud shook his head, narrowing his eyes. "Not a damn thing. What'd you do?"

"I have an interesting, albeit possibly upsetting, theory," Sephiroth replied, sighing and ignoring the implications Cloud was giving. "You... well... Let me start with some back story. Do you remember when you died?"

The blond nodded, eyes darkening from the unpleasant memory.

"Well, I transfused my own blood to you, to save your life. It was a risky choice, but I kept you alive, at the very least," the emerald-eyed General explained briefly, gesturing oddly with his hands. "I wasn't thinking very clearly. In fact, the only thought on my mind was to keep you alive and with me. I think, however, that my error may have had some disturbing adverse effects."

Sapphire eyes widened briefly. Of all the odd turns the conversation could've taken, this was not one Cloud had expected. More than that, Sephiroth openly admitted making a mistake, which of course, the great man never did. Not even to Cloud and Zack, his trusted companions. This was a short-lived luxury, as he switched back to business mode.

"So, what kind of adverse effects are we talking about?" he asked, eying his older lover rather incredulously. "Does this have anything to do with these awkward memory lapses I've been having?"

Nodding, Sephiroth frowned apologetically. "It does. I think, Cloud... that the mako in my system may have lightly poisoned you. I didn't take into account that I have an excessive amount of it in me. It seems to be... er... rewriting your genetic coding..."

Very suddenly, Cloud's chair was flung backwards, scraping loudly against the floor before toppling backwards. Less than a moment later, a very angry blond stood before Sephiroth, sapphire eyes ablaze. Before the General could reply, Cloud grabbed fistfuls of his hair, pulling their faces close. Startlingly white teeth were bared in a terrible snarl, growling out hot breaths against his alabaster face. It was the most bizarre thing the boy had ever done during their relationship.

"Cloud... what?..." Sephiroth managed before the boy flung him backward with surprising strength. A blink later, he was gone.

Confused, Sephiroth remained in the chair, blinking, trying to make sense of what had just occurred.

It would be nonsense to even ask Cloud what he just did, because he wasn't even sure. Something within him snapped when Sephiroth had mentioned rewriting codes. After all, he had endured significant pain to rid himself of the genetic experimentation that Hojo subjected him to. He thought sure that the suffering was over.

Sighing, Cloud placed his head in his hands, not even sure where he was, what he should be doing. He needed to work on calming the seemingly random rage that had consumed him. What was worse, he had even intimidated SEPHIROTH, the unwavering Demon of Wutai, the man whose sword skewered four of Wutai's finest in one fell swoop while Zack watched on, jaw getting rather well acquainted with the ground.

"Now, now, who was careless enough not to remind you that the regulation army isn't allowed up here?"

A familiar voice graced Cloud's ears, one he had surprisingly not heard in a few days.

"Zack!" he exclaimed happily, a genuine smile on his face. He stood, drew his robe around him and embraced his SOLDIER friend tightly.

Releasing him, Zack held Cloud at arms length, studying the boy's face carefully. He looked oddly stricken, as if some horrible event had just happened.

"Spike, what's wrong? You look awful," Zack said, frowning deeply. He never liked it when his friends were distraught. "Did Seph go mako-bonkers on you?"

Shaking his head, Cloud stepped back a little, a sudden curious yet timid look on his face. "No, but... Zack... could you... possibly tell me... stories about what happened to Sephiroth during... during his time with Hojo?"

The black-haired SOLDIER First Class looked down at his companion, an unusual expression on his face. Cloud briefly wondered if asking had been a bad thing before Zack pulled him over to sit on a couch in the hallway. It was several moments before he began to speak again; for once, it appeared he was choosing his words with care.

"Seph hasn't told you, huh?" Zack began. "Let me guess. I bet he told you something along the lines of it would've 'scared you away,' right?"

Cloud nodded.

"Well, Spike, get ready for a trip, because Seph might've just been right," he replied, noting the blonde's brief look of horror. "Yeah, it's that bad. When the man's right, he's definitely right, and I would assume for this to be no exception. But, since you asked, I can give you a little peek into the troubled life of our Seph, although he might just kill me later for it.

"You gotta remember, I haven't always been around, obviously. Seph is a few years my senior, and I've only just become First just before the Wutai war, and just before you got here. I can't begin to tell you how he coped then, but I'll tell you what happened once I became his right hand."

Cloud scooted a little closer to Zack, listening rather intently. He'd been dying to hear about his for months, after all.

"I began to memorize the General's schedule after a while, so that I would know when to burst into his room, I.E., when he was actually present," Zack explained, grinning in his trademark way and scratching the back of his neck lightly. "It so happened that one day, I discovered his meetings with Hojo by accident. I had come to drop off some reports that were long overdue because I had been spending a lot of time with Aerith when I found Seph in his kitchen, leaning rather heavily on the counter, with a knife in his hand.

"Seph didn't spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I'll never figure out where all his cooked meals came from, because I don't think he can cook very well. Anyway. So, I was first startled by the fact that he was even in said kitchen. It then hit me that the reason he was holding the knife because he obviously intended to use it on himself."

Cloud made a small sound of disbelief at this, since the General never showed a sign of weakness and trying to claim one's own life was certainly the ultimate weakness in his eyes. Zack plowed on, knowing the next part would quash his disagreement.

"Don't believe me? Well, here's how I know. When a person intends to hurt and/or kill themselves, they act in a very particular, however peculiar, way. He was muttering absolute nonsense about never being able to measure up to the impossible standards that were set to him. His pupils were unnaturally dilated, his breathing was ragged... you know, everything that he never shows, not even in battle. Mr. Calm and Collected was falling apart before my very eyes.

"Out of nowhere, his sharp eyes locked onto mine, very lucid, and he asked me why he existed." Zack was frowning, hoping he would never have to recall the moments of his best friend's greatest weakness. "What do you say to that, I wonder? Come to think of it, I don't even remember what bullshit I spouted off at him, but whatever it was, it made him ANGRY. Before I could even think about reacting, he came at me with said knife, nicking my arm pretty good before I scuttled backward into the living area."

At this, Zack brought his left shoulder forward, pointing to a long, thin scar on his bicep. Cloud leaned forward to examine it then gasped in horror, hands flying to his face to cover his gaping jaw.

"Yeah, no kidding," Zack said, nodding. "I was feeling about the same way. He then backed me into a corner, at which point I began to genuinely panic. I don't remember how it happened or where my strength came from, but I managed to tackle him and wrestle the knife away, although not before catching another nick to my thigh. I'd show you that one, too, but it would take a lot of effort to roll my pant leg up or I'd have to drop trow right here in the hallway, both of which I'm too lazy to do."

Cloud chuckled a little at that, rolling his eyes at his older friend.

"So I sat on Seph's chest and the next thing I knew he was roaring like a crazed animal, screaming, raging left and right. Had I not been scared absolutely shitless I probably would've been thrown off, but I suppose the adrenaline/mako mix gave me enough strength to remain on him until the rage finally subsided. I sustained a good few claw marks aside from the knife wounds that night."

Not knowing how to respond, Cloud contented himself with furrowing his brow, staring at Zack in disbelief. Surely all this had to be a ruse just to keep him from being inquisitive. Sephiroth wouldn't actually do that to someone... or would he?

Zack arched a raven eyebrow briefly. "I can tell you're questioning the validity of my story, but I assure you, Spike, that every word I say is painfully true. You asked for the truth and that's exactly what I'm giving you."

The blond's mind wandered again to the night Sephiroth had caught him peeking at the journal. The General had truly lost it, proving Zack's point extremely well. Cloud knew his older lover had a frighteningly dark side, yet he had always taken such care to keep it from the younger blond. Suddenly, images came to mind of Sephiroth slaughtering countless enemies while on his various missions. Masamune cut in a wide arc, splattering blood onto delicate green leaves and grass. A spare drop hit the alabaster face, which he wiped casually away with a gloved hand, chuckling. Cloud could just see the mighty General sighing in relief, working out his many frustrations in blood.

"Anyway," Zack continued, cutting into Cloud's thoughts, startling him back to reality. "Well, it gets worse. I eventually came up with the idea of suiting up and hand-to-hand sparring with him. That went surprisingly well, but he scared the daylights out of me with how violent he'd get. His eyes would get a maniacal sheen and it would be like he would forget it was just in good fun... The granddaddy of them all, though... I wandered into his office one night forgetting that it was see-Professor-Hojo day. Looking back, I should've known better. Point is, he was at his desk, sitting in the dark..."

- - - - -

"_Seph? What're you doing just sitting here in the dark like this?" Zack questioned, moving toward piercing emerald eyes and the lamp he knew was perched in the corner of the desk._

_Sephiroth glanced up, an invisible snarl tugging at his lips. "Who are you? Leave my office at once!"_

"_C'mon Seph, it's me, your partner? Don't be silly." He reached toward the lamp, and as it flared to life, the man behind the desk gave a feral roar._

_Zack didn't have time to process the attack. Without warning the desk flew clear across the room to smash against the nearest wall, plunging them into darkness once more. Seconds later, the silver-haired beast was upon him, throwing him roughly to the ground and pouncing on him, pointed teeth bared. Long, pale fingers snaked around his neck, squeezing firmly._

"_This time I will have you, Hojo..." Sephiroth whispered, his breath too warm on Zack's purpling face._

"_Se... Seph... I-" Zack choked slightly, realization dawning on him. "I'm... I'm not... H-Ho...jo..."_

_Chuckling lightly, Sephiroth released Zack and, just as quickly, flung him across the room like a rag doll. Zack's spine collided rather painfully with a bookshelf and the wall rattled ominously. Within an instant, various volumes toppled, sharp corners biting into the black-haired SOLDIER's flesh. Ears ringing and eyes unfocused, Zack tried his best to gain his bearings, to no avail, as Sephiroth was soon upon him again, holding massive Masamune to his throat._

"_I grow tired of your games..." he whispered, applying slight pressure. A thin line of blood appeared, making him grin. "You always hold my past in front of me like bait, treating me like your little dog that requires training."_

_Panicking, Zack fought the urge to flail or scream, as it would only goad the raging General on. He loved to play with his victims, loved watching them suffer before death. Being Sephiroth's only friend, Zack often carefully overlooked his particularly cruel nature, but now it staring him in the face, fangs bared and intent on having his blood._

"_Sephiroth... please... it's me, Zack... come to your senses, man..." Zack gasped out, squirming slightly as the green-eyed General applied more pressure to his throat. The black-haired captive could feel his own blood running in hot trails down his neck..._

_Masamune was abruptly discarded as Sephiroth began raining blows on his prey's upper body. While a strong SOLDIER himself, Zack could not withstand a direct assault from the strongest man in the history of the armed forces. Bones and flesh broke easily under the man's pale fists. Every inch of Zack's body flared with pain, as the General's feet had come into play, kicking at any section of his body that they could. An eternity of torture later, Zack crumpled weakly into the corner, cowering away from his superior, mako eyes deadening._

_When Sephiroth walked away, it took all Zack had not to breathe a sigh of relief. It was a short-lived respite, for the man stalked right back, a hunter meaning to destroy its prey once and for all, Masamune once again gripped loosely in his right hand._

"_Seph... what're you-!"_

_Zack was cut off quite unceremoniously by the massive nodachi piercing his chest. Coughing, blood burbled up his throat, dripping out the right corner of his mouth, some splattering lightly onto Sephiroth's black coat and boots. Pain wracked every inch of his battered body as he raised mako violet eyes to meet blindingly emerald ones. He smiled very slightly with his waning strength and saw something flicker in the older man's eyes._

"_Seph..." he whispered weakly, "you're... guna kill... your only remaining friend... The others... are... all gone... who will you have... to stand by you?..."_

_Before the General could answer, Zack slumped forward, unconscious. Blood dripped from his still-smiling mouth and chest, forming a pool around his still form. That, more than anything, had startled the great Sephiroth from his rage. Making a strangled sound, he wrenched Masamune from his comrade, expelling even more blood, threw it aside and gathered the younger SOLDIER in his arms. _

"_Zack... Zack... if you die on me now, there will not be a single person in this hell that will understand me..." Zack heard him whisper, the voice floating eerily through the darkness that held him captive._

_The medical staff asked no questions and Sephiroth provided no answers. They silently worked on Zack for many long hours, finally raising the First from the very throes of death. Even materia couldn't help Zack in the shape he was in, leaving the staff to work manually, as older civilizations had. Sephiroth watched on as they worked, nerves on fire, and followed when they transferred his friend to a recovery bed. He stoically remained there for hours, emerald orbs never leaving Zack's face, until he finally came to..._

_From that day forward, Zack knew never to prod his superior and the incident hung awkwardly between them for a few days before it disappeared, remaining unspoken of. Sephiroth henceforth was able to control most of his mako rages, keeping them down to breaking some things and occasionally screaming his frustrations at Zack, who had never told another soul about the General's greatest weakness..._

_- - - - -_

For more than half of Zack's tale, Cloud's eyes had been widened in complete shock, hardly able to believe that his Sephiroth would do such a thing to anyone, let alone his best friend. Whether the General showed it or not, he deeply cared for and respected Zack for treating him humanly since they had met. The great man had presented a challenge to Zack, who was determined to take socially awkward or traumatized people under his wing at every chance.

"Gaia, Zack... this is... the truth? You aren't just making this up as a cruel joke?" Cloud asked, hoping against hope that Zack's face would split into that telltale liar grin of his.

No such grin came and Cloud, completely stunned, sank against his friend. A tan arm snaked around his shoulders as he sobbed uncontrollably for many moments, Zack stroking his blond spikes gently, whispering nonsensical words of comfort. The raven-haired SOLDIER couldn't tell exactly what was making Cloud so upset: the fact that his lover was batshit crazy, or that he had to endure such pain at Hojo's hand. In retrospect, it could've been a layering of the two, and maybe a sprig of whatever had left the blond so upset to begin with. Throw in a pinch of salt and bake on 350 degrees for ten minutes and voila! It created one very unhappy Cloudycakes.

From his hiding place that was formally called Zack's shoulder, Cloud didn't see his older lover walking slowly up the long hallway toward them. Zack, however, was staring right at Sephiroth, apology evident in his violet eyes. The bit about Sephiroth killing him for spilling his secrets wasn't a joke; the look in his superior's eyes told him all he needed to know about his imminent punishment.

"Cloud," Zack said, starting to gently push his friend away. Sobbing, the boy clung to him and Zack's heart broke to see it. "Cloud, come on. I think... I think you need to face this now."

The implications were not wasted on the blond. Whirling around quickly, he met Sephiroth's nonplussed gaze evenly. The General expected to see traces of anger or even fear there, but Cloud's eyes held no emotion. That in itself scared Sephiroth more than any amount of anger or hurt could.

"What happened here?" Sephiroth asked, referring simultaneously to Cloud's outburst and the conversation that was held in his absence, though he had an inkling that he knew what the latter was about.

Frowning heavily, Zack looked away from his commander. "Cloud er, asked me to dredge up ancient history... er... since you uh, didn't. And who am I to resist such... cute... big... puppy eyes?"

"First of all, Cloud," Sephiroth snapped, noting that _there_ was the fear, flickering quickly in sapphire eyes, "I'm disappointed that you went and wheedled information out of Zack that I didn't want to readily offer. And Zack, I'm angered that you would go behind my back and tell something that you _know_ I didn't want to be told. Especially, and I must stress this, to someone that I did intend to keep."

Genuine fear coursed through Cloud. _Did? _The use of past tense saddened him. Had he just crushed his new relationship with Sephiroth? Was it all for naught? Why, oh why, did he have to pry into something that was clearly not a subject to be breached?!

"Seph..." Cloud ventured, desperate to make Sephiroth understand. Really, he just wanted to know more about his lover since it seemed that the silver-haired man knew everything about him. Shouldn't it be equal?

Sporting an air that was definitively the General, Sephiroth turned smartly on his heel, turning up his nose as he did. Emerald eyes peeked over a well-defined shoulder, glaring through a sheet of silver silk.

"I don't want to hear it, Strife," he snipped. With that, he began walking briskly back to his flat.

Watching the General's receding form, Zack pushed Cloud upright, sadness marked by a light sheen in his eyes. "You'd better go, since I don't think you have your key and he could easily lock you out. Not that I would mind having you as my roommate again... I'm sorry, Cloud. I should've just told you not to worry about it. I... if things don't work out, I'm sorry."

Nodding, Cloud gave Zack a quick hug and sprinted down the hallway after his lover - no, commander? - anguish rising in him like a tidal wave.

* * *

Second AN: Despite being told that I should continue, I'm going to leave this right where it is.

I'm debating on whether or not I want Seph and Cloud to break up and have that lead into the Nibelheim incident or have them make up. Hmm... we shall see.

I won't be like typical authors and demand that you review, but it is nice if you do. :) Either way, I do this for you guys, not for me.


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